HomeKit - Is this correct, and what is wrong

HomeKit Controller

allows you to connect accessories with the “Works with HomeKit” logo to Home Assistant.

Assumptions:

  • these become entities/devices that can be used in HA and sent to let us say ‘Alexa’

HomeKit

make your Home Assistant entities available in Apple HomeKit

Assumption:

  • the entities/devices in HA are sent to HomeKit / my Home
  • a QR Code is given by HA for HomeKit to San and accepts the Bridge.

The ‘goal’

  • Buy an outdoor power strip that is HomeKit,
  • have it appear in HomeKit on Apple
  • Have it appear in HA
  • Have HA send it to Alexa

The issue

  • I can see some devices in HomeKit Controller I needed the 8 digit pair code and could add them
  • I do not see ‘all’ of the devices in the Apple HomeKit ‘house’
  • I can not ‘add’ them via Add Controler → see the device → add the 8 digit code (they are not listed)
  • I DO seem to flood all the entities/devices into the apple Home and see them in Home on the iPhone.

Should I leave the device in ‘pairing’ mode and then use HomeKit Controller to add to HA then push it to iPhone’s HOME via HomeKit Integration?

Went to the AppleTV and ‘touched’ the homekit settings, this is now in HA, but I do not kow how to ‘reset’ it.

It also might be the EcoBee themostat that I re-added to the HomeKit

I just enabled HomeKit on my HA install and discovered a couple things that might help you. 1, you can find the pairing code in the notifications of your HomeAssistant main dashboard. That includes a QR code for quick activation, but i’m having mixed results with that, on mine the qr codes are pointing to incorrect devices, but i’m still troubleshooting.

2, you can filter what HomeAssistant entities or devices you want exposed to HomeKit by editing the configuration.yaml. I followed these instructions - https://siytek.com/adding-homekit-to-home-assistant-made-easy/ - and limited it to just temp sensors and light switches. That cut down on the ‘noise’ in HomeKit quite a lot.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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Thank You for the tips. It helps.

Getting entities from HA to HK is up, now.

<edit Dec 23, 2021 > See Solution in thread
What I am now tackeling is how to have HA see a HK device (the reveres of the above). I am thinking that this is not actually posiable (a two way feed). I think I need to delete the HK device from my HOME in HK. Then start the ‘learning’ process on the device, but instead of using the iPhone to accept the device, I need to use HA via “HomeKit Controler”

1. Put device into pairing mode
2. Add it to HA via the Home Kit Controller integration
3. advertise it to Home Kit via the HASS Bridge Home kit integration

Then the iPhone in HK will see the device (and all the other devices) but I also can advertise the HK device to the Amazon world / Alexa …

NET: Stop adding HomeKit accessories into Apple HK. Add the device into HA, then advertise it to HK… - see solution below

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I’m all of 24 hours into HK so take this with a big grain of salt… I believe HK uses a “base station” in a home which the other HK compatible devices pair or associate with. Apple wants this to be like an Apple TV device, but HA is actually functioning as the HK “base station”. I don’t think you’d want it to be your phone, since your phone will leave the house from time to time etc. I think then… tho this part i haven’t confirmed yet … that you could pair your HK-power strip to your HA’s HomeKit? Then HA talks to the power strip via HK, and you talk to HA via the webUI or HK.

On my install i was just getting other HA devices and entities exposed via HK so i’m still figuring this out, but what you’re trying to do sounds achievable.

you are correct on the ‘base’ or the " home hub " the AppleTV or Siri Speakers will become this naturally. If you do not have one then an iOS device will assume the role.

I have all my Insteon Lights fully accessible in Home Kit, the phone can turn them on and off, the Siri speaker can manage them. InteonHub->HA->HK->iPhone

The net is getting new IoT devices (switches plugs etc) that are inexpensive, and that HA can use. Right now, if I pair it with the iPhone then HA can not see the devices.

Project for the holidays.

1 Like

Nice. Good luck mate, may the Force and the Google be with you.

Got IT!

I hate watching videos for configurations, but the “Tech Tech & More Tech” video solved the flow. As of Dec 23, 2021

Setup

Step 1

Add the HomeKit device to HomeKit.

  • follow the instructions with the device
  • for me, this has been QR code scanning
  • take a picture or write down the QR code/pairing code (8 digits in 2 rows on my devices)

Step 2

Remove from HomeKit. It may seem odd, but step one, program your wifi into the device and associate it with your ‘home’ in HomeKit. This step is to unassociated it from your iOS ‘Home.’

  • in iOS Home, find the device
  • Long press
  • Gear Icon
  • Delete

Step 3

We are adding the device to HA.

In HA

  • Add the integration “HomeKit Controller” (not the “homekit”)
  • During the addition, your device that you just deleted in Step 2 should be there
  • you will be asked for the pairing code (8 digit code from above) in a format of xxx-xx-xx. You must add the dashes.
  • Follow the normal device and entity addition
  • test the device in HA

Step 4

In HA
Add the Integration “Home Kit” [ONCE second device does not need this] - This is a BRIDGE from which your iOS device will see HA devices.

  • Not going to cover the include exclude, etc., in detail, but you need to include your new device.
  • the solid recommendation is to exclude everything, then include what you need.
  • this step should create a QR code for you to scan to add to HomeKit

Step 5

In iOS Home

  • Scan the QR code offered by HA for the Bridge
  • follow the HomeKit install, it will be a non-official device
  • after the bridge is added, the device you included should appear into Home on the iOS device

Summary

  • Add to Home in HomeKit
  • Delete from HomeKit
  • Add to HA via “HomeKit Controller” integration
  • Let the “HomeKit” integration send the device back to Home in HomeKit on the iOS device

Value

Why do this? The device is in HA will permit HA to control it, send it to Apple, and Other clouds, like Alexa. Now your HomeKit device is Alexa powered.

footnote

I am moving the device from HomeKit on iOS to HA.

I need the eight-digit pairing code, but I have the Bridge setup in HK.

  • Delete in HK
  • Add via “Homekit Controller” integration in HA
  • Include in “Homekit” integration in HA

Finish by tidying up HomeKit in iOS, such as putting things back into rooms.